Art History & Visual Culture Program

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About SJSU Art History & Visual Culture

The mission of the San José State University Art History area is to enrich the lives
of its students by providing an in-depth knowledge of cultural traditions and the
skills necessary for applying that knowledge in the service of our multicultural society.
The program also provides students with the communication skills, research techniques,
and methods of critical inquiry that have become a vital part of modern life. Course
offerings include a wide range of themes and topics in Western, Chinese, Japanese,
East Indian, Southeast Asian, Islamic, African, Latin American and Pre-Columbian art.
Examination of the visual culture of these diverse areas encourages students to become
responsible citizens through an understanding of the aesthetic, cultural and ethical
choices inherent in human development.

Undergraduates majoring in the history of art undertake a 45-unit program to gain
a basic knowledge of the field with a concentration in one or two areas of their choosing.
The program requires students to take at least one non-Western art history course,
6 upper division units in related areas of history and the humanities, and a minimum
of six units of a second language. Students are also encouraged to take at least one
studio course in order to gain a functional knowledge of the creative process.